MECHANICAL AND HYDRAULIC DREDGING

Every year, an average of more than 100-thousand cubic yards of dredged materials are removed from the Duluth-Superior Harbor. The build up of the sediment that must be dredged is caused by ship traffic.

Using the latest computer technology and state-of-the-art equipment, Marine Tech has been the company of choice for all dredging and survey applications that include maintenance dredging, environmental dredging or harbor surveys.

Of course we all know that the latest equipment and technology is useless without experienced personnel. For decades, Marine Tech has proven performance in dredging and survey work to the strictest specifications.

So what happens to all that dredge material? Nearby Erie Pier holds a Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) that was designed to house the materials. However, it can only hold a limited volume.

Marine Tech and its predecessor Zenith Dredge, have been at the forefront of efforts to find alternative solutions to storing dredged materials and recycling them. Often called dredged spoils. Marine Tech looks at it as a valuable resource.

We are the only place in the Great Lakes and one of the few places nationally that have recognized the need for recycling or the beneficial re-use of dredge materials.

When dredging, in some areas clean sand is found. Sand is easy to re-use because it’s needed for a variety of projects. It can simply be stored and sold. But Marine Tech realized that even the softer dredged materials contain some sand. And so they worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a system for washing the materials, separating out the sand for use in other applications.

Working with the Harbor Technical Advisory Committee and its dredging subcommittee, Marine Tech continues to explore new processing techniques and alternative re-use options, including a pilot project that applies dredged sediments on old mining sites.